UK police under pressure to lift ban on Israeli soccer fans at Birmingham match
Pressure increased on Friday for police authorities in Birmingham to lift the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans attending a Europa League match at Aston Villa next month. The decision, made due to security concerns, was met with widespread condemnation.
Behind the scenes, the government was seeking to resolve the row, which comes at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue earlier this month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to bar the visiting team’s fans from the Nov. 6 game was “the wrong decision” and that “the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Starmer spokesman Geraint Ellis said Friday that “the prime minister has been angered by the decision” and the government was working urgently to overturn it.
Simon Foster, the elected official in Birmingham responsible for overseeing the local police force and holding it to account, also urged an “immediate review,” while local Mayor Richard Parker called on authorities to find “a workable solution” that may involve the government covering some policing costs.
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